Russia - threadbanned users in OP

Yep. Not sure what he's doing in Turkey. Maybe just a wee holiday. It's been a bit stressful for him recently 😁

I agree, but the blunt reality is thw west needs cheap labour, because without it, we will pay alot more for goods. Moving away from Chinese goods would take a generation, India is the only country that can match China for size but they're no where near geared up for that business. Other south east Asian countries that can manufacture are ultimately tiny by comparison.

I've seen it first hand in the industry I work in, Quality British made products coming up against garbage made in China, now, the British brand is made in China landed for less than half the price and not a patch on what it used to be. People like to blame "greedy companies" but the reality is its consumer driven

I absolutely agree, the west needs to diversify, be it major investment in countries like India, Brazil and Indonesia but its not a quick move. Its requires active policy change to which I would 100% endorse

We can survive a few years with our existing mobiles and low value plastic tat until Western countries reorientate their supply chain away from China.

We in the west just need food and fuel to survive which we don't rely on China for.

Yes it will be tough for companies to re-adjust but China need to get the message loud and clear, support Russia in the war and sanctions and isolation are on the way!

Based on how the US and NATO have behaved up until this point I can't imagine anything other than a large-scale and obviously Kremlin-ordered Russian attack on sovereign NATO soil could drag NATO any further into the conflict.

And even at that I suspect any response would be very precise and "proportional": i.e. they might target some sort of equipment belonging to the unit which was supposedly behind any attack; or in failing that they might target some infrastructure in Crimea.

I think it's beginning to dawn on them that they are up the creek, hence the desperation of threatening corporations.

On February 25th, there was a tender for crude announced on the St. Petersburg Merchantile Exchange (SPIMEX) with bids to be submitted by March 4th.

There were no bids placed, which means on the entire planet they couldn't find a single trader willing to do business with them.

ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited), a large Indian oil exploitation company also failed to get any bids for 700,000 barrels of Russian crude last week.

Those two outcomes are a serious kick in the balls for the Russian oil industry.

We can definitely do without certain material luxuries like a new phone every year and all that kind of thing which is pretty hedonistic when you think about it, but is that all China makes? For example, back when Coronavirus first broke out, I remember stories about China ramping up production on face masks. That makes me ask what other medical sundries they make - things that are simple in design but are necessary - things like hypodermic needles for example.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica

Beyond the cheap tat, could be a lot of necessities in there that would make a sudden cut off in trade not necessarily impossible, but a disaster. It would have to be done over a period of time in order to maintain Western stability if it were to be done.

We used to manufacture our own things. If you're old enough to remember goods that said 'Made in England' 'Made in France' etc. Bring manufacturing back home.

Had plenty of time for Merkel, but I'd agree, not the best decision.

My mates girlfriend was made in China. Mind you she is a blow-up doll.

Looks like there's some reluctance on Chinas part.

Incredible protest on Russia's Channel One news this evening (their equivalent of BBC1 or RTE1). Apparently not a fake either, some people have identified her as an editor at the channel.

But this is still where a lot of that kind of thing seems to be coming from at this point in time. I think people could accept something like a laptop computer becoming a much more serious purchase, because those of us old enough will remember that's what something like a computer used to be, and we could get 10 years out of it, with repairs, but all those sundry things, all the bits and bobs used in many fields of industry might prove more problematic. If their costs are higher, it threatens to make the cost of manufacturing higher and therefore the cost of living yet higher in general, and people are kicking off over that as it is.

I'm not not saying it would be impossible to cut off China, but it would need a more holistic approach than just that act to make it work.

That is one brave lady.